Among the many eyebrow-raising happenings in Washington these days is the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While the Federal bureaucracy sure is a monster, couldn’t we use our own version of DOGE? 

Part of the pushback Elon and Vivek attract is their flamboyant slash-and-burn rhetoric, kinda like that guy in Argentina taking a (literal) chainsaw to the public sector across the board. That would be too aggressive for COMO DOGE, which instead should balance government efficiency with effectiveness.   

We should take a good government attitude about how to best deliver public services in a growing community in the 21st century. We could target net revenue-neutral solutions — so no slash-and-burn. Commit to no layoffs, so any possible department staff reductions would be done humanely, over time, via attrition, coordinated job transfers and/or retraining. 

In fact, in this light, shouldn’t everybody be in favor of government efficiency? Maybe especially our local public servants who desire to do a good job for us. Otherwise, are we saying we want to spend more for the same services? Or for the same taxes we pay — receive fewer services? 

Who would be COMO’s version of Elon and Vivek? Maybe one the Bukowsky brothers; or likely Jennifer Bukowsky, as fighting government overreach is already her personal calling card. Or venture capitol guru Brent Beshore, who hosts the annual Main Street Summit downtown, would know a thing or two about operational best practices. Speaking of which, Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA is a world-class quality control evangelist, as a multi-time recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. 

Actually, considering COMO’s good government ethos, a balance of visionary voices from the non-profit sector would be great, too, such as Darin Pries of Central Missouri Community Action, Andrew Grabau formerly of United Way, and Jane Williams of Love Columbia. 

A blue ribbon commission is all fine and well, but the typical fact-finding should be turned on its head. Instead of top-down, investigate from the bottom up. Sure, dig into public school operations, but instead of quizzing the Deputy Assistant Superintendent of fill-in-the-blank, ask a dedicated classroom teacher. At the college of such and such at Mizzou, instead of making a beeline to the dean’s office, instead chat with the administrative assistant — and the janitor. 

At City Hall, skip the department head meeting, and ask a lineman with Water and Light, or a receptionist at the Parks and Rec office. 

With the above-mentioned types of folks who have the pulse of day-to-day operations, they can easily brainstorm five or ten common sense cost-cutting measures off the top of their heads. To fix the bureaucracies, listen to those drowning in it. 

While Washington spending has several more zeros on the end of its budget than local municipalities do, there is sure a need. At a public info session in January of the city of Columbia budget process, the budget director pointed to a telling slide that with the cost of everything going up, the city projects a looming chronic budget shortfall come Fiscal Year 2027.  That means the community will need to start having adult conversations about priorities and the best way to deliver local public services we all need and expect.  

So now sounds like perfect timing to make sure we are running a tighter ship. Otherwise, expect knee-jerk calls to raise sales taxes or utility rates further, which can disproportionately effect our lowest income residents. That’s right: to refuse even looking at local government efficiency … it would be “as if this town outright ‘hates’ poor people.”